title: Effects of polysaccharide from pumpkin on biochemical indicator and pancreatic tissue of the diabetic rabbits.
abstract: A water-soluble polysaccharide (PCE-CC) was obtained from pumpkin which belongs to the family Cucubitaceae by the water and ethanol extract, organic solvent fractional extraction and deproteinization. The present study was designed to investigate PCE-CC possible mechanism underlying the improvement of damaged pancreatic islets. Alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits were injected with PCE-CC for 21 days to assess effects on islet tissue morphology. After 21 days, the weights of the alloxan-induced diabetic and non-diabetic rabbits fed with diet contained PCE-CC were significantly increased as compared to the negative group. The data of blood glucose (BG), total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) indicated that PCE-CC had beneficial effects on the improvement in the control of blood glucose, serum lipid and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Observing the pancreatic tissue of the diabetic rabbits revealed that PCE-CC could promote the regeneration of damaged pancreatic islets by stimulating β-cell proliferation, which was accompanied by a decrease in plasma glucose levels. PCE-CC was further separated and purified to obtain PCE-CCH by ion exchange and gel chromatography. PCE-CCH was a heteropolysaccharide and consisted of glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose and little amount of hexuronic acid, with a molecular weight of 1.15 × 10(5) Da.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, China JiLiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China. Electronic address: yjzhang@vip.163.com.
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Liyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Huiyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002845:Chromatography / Q000379:methods; D028464:Cucurbita / Q000737:chemistry*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Blood glucose; Glycosylated hemoglobin; Islet cells; Monosaccharide composition; Pumpkin polysaccharide; Serum lipid